Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1887-12-15
A SNOW BLOCKADE.
The Christmas-Eve Romance That
Grew Out of It.

1t was in the afternoon of the day
before Christmas. and the train from
Worcester already due in Boston, had
q good distance away come TO a stand
still in a SHOW drift. 1t continued to
snow and to blow rs if it had not the
slightest intention of ever stopping ut
all. Each fake looked Il tiny. pretty.
harmless thing; but piled one upon an
other they made Il barrier that resisr-
ed entirely the laboring. putting en-
CINE. which at last. with final angry
snort at being thus baked. came to a
dead stop. The conductor put his
head into the door of the only car in
which we have any interest. and with
out waiting for a query TO be put, an
nounced that it would probably be
hours before the train could reach Bos-
ton. This announcement stirred upa
decided commotion among 4 number
OF men who had grouped themselves
together in the rear of the car. AS if
lit might help matters. they rose,
walked up and down and pcered out
into the Opaque atmosphere. To spend
Christmas eve on Il snow-bOund rail-
way train was not a pleasant outlook;
especially unpleasant it was. since
there was no prospect OF getting any
thing TO eat.
The only other occupants Of the car
aside from these men i'm the rear were
n gentleman in the center half buried
in a Russian greatcoat who was por-
ing over pile of what seemed legal
documents lying in his lap. and a
young girl who sat much nearer the
front door. The girl. being alone, had
10 one 10 whom to express her feelings
of CONSERVATION. and the gentleman
midway was SO cngrosscd as to mani
fest little interest in the fact that the
train was stationary. but went calm!y
-on making his marginal notes. This
gentleman was Paul Howard. the
young Boston lawyer the most prom
Using man in his profession in the city.
and already person of note. He was
but thirty. Society sought to know
much more of him than he saw fit to
give of himself Boston bellies found
him handsome. fascinating and dis
tinguc; they also found him insensible
TO their charms. He was in love with
his work. 1t was characteristic of
him that once entering upon Il train of
thought The blockade of train of ears
made little impression upon him. how
ever much he mi ht be concerned. He
had calmly noticed that a young lady
occupied n seat not far away. To all
girls and women this man was very
indifferent.
Years before beautiful young girl
had touched the depth of Paul
Towards nature, and had been to him
as gloritied being. hardly less than
an angela silly girl she was. with no
heart OF her own. no appreciation of
his, and who had finally laughed at
the intensity of his love for her. Again.
"a woman older than himself had made
him, through his affection, for short
time. her slave, only to show her
triumph and that to know such
triumph had been her object From
that time he had devoted himself to
his profession. his ambition fired by
success. his only diversion music and
the two hours Of general reading late
ut night rs he smoked before his fire
in his bachelor apartment in the Hotel
Eendome.
The girl moved uneasilv in her seat.
1t was evident that she wa, much dis
turbed. She was remarkably pretty,
and symphony in brown from head
to toe. Her sealskin coat and cap
matched exactly her big, brown eyes;
her fluffy, brown hair was but few
shades lighter. and her clear. brown
skin. with the rich, deep red showing
through in her cheeks was vGry beau
tiful An ordinary man would have
forgotten his law papers and made his
eyes happy with such sight
Paul at last filed away his manu.
scripts and began to take in the situa-
ton. Behind him the men were tell
ing stories of similar blockades or